N. Korean premier to meet with China's Hu

BEIJING, March 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korean Premier Kim Yong-il was set to meet
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday for talks that sources say will likely
include a possible summit with North Korea's reclusive leader.

The premier met with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao a day earlier, with the
stalled six-party nuclear talks, regional issues and economic cooperation high on
their agenda, according to Chinese state media.
China has expressed concern over North Korea's planned rocket launch. The U.S.,
South Korea and Japan believe the launch is a cover for a long-range missile
test.
After a tour of local electronics firms, Kim will meet separately with Wu
Bangguo, China's top legislator and the country's second-ranking official, before
his meeting with Hu in the afternoon, the sources said.
Speculation has mounted that the allies may arrange a summit this year between Hu
and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to commemorate 60 years of their diplomatic
relations. Kim last visited China in 2006, following a rare trip by Hu to North
Korea a year earlier.
North Korean media did not mention the possible summit or the deadlocked
denuclearization talks, focusing instead on the allies' friendly relations. Kim
started the five-day visit on Tuesday, accompanied by an entourage of
economy-related Cabinet ministers.
"It is the consistent stand of China to steadily develop the Sino-DPRK friendly
relations and bring greater benefit to the two peoples," the North's Korean
Central News Agency quoted Wen as saying. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
The North Korean premier was quoted as saying, "It is not only the will of Kim
Jong-il but the consistent stand of the Workers' Party of Korea and the
government of the DPRK to boost the DPRK-China friendly relations."
China's Xinhua news agency said Wen presented a four-point proposal highlighting
cooperation in trade, investment and mining exploration, coordination on
international and regional issues, and pushing the six-party talks forward.
"China would like to continue its constructive role in realizing denuclearization
of the Korean Peninsula," Wen was quoted as saying. The six-party talks, also
grouping South Korea, the U.S., Japan and Russia, have been stalled since
December due to a dispute over how to verify the North's past nuclear activity.
Sources in Beijing said Chinese leaders have asked North Korean leader Kim to
visit China after his country holds its first meeting of the newly-elected
parliament expected in early April and celebrates the birthday of his father and
North Korean founder Kim Il-sung on April 15.
Kim reportedly accepted a written invitation from Hu to visit Beijing, according
to Xinhua in January.
Seoul officials believe Kim, 67, has recovered enough to travel to China after
allegedly suffering a stroke in August.
China fought for North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War against South Korea and
the United States and is a major donor to the impoverished North. South Korea's
humanitarian aid to Pyongyang was suspended about a year ago amid faltering
cross-border relations.
North Korea has raised tension in the region by announcing it will launch a
"communications satellite" into orbit some time between April 4-8.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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